Newsletter

Roundtree resigns as Windsor Forest football coach

Windsor Forest’s Jason Roundtree has resigned as the Knights football coach.

Roundtree, who was the head coach for three seasons, said he is stepping down to spend more time with his family. He plans to stay on at Windsor Forest as a teacher and track and field coach and said he may continue as an assistant football coach.

“I just got married in December and I’ve been missing a lot of time with my family,” said the 38-year-old Groves High graduate. “My dad is in his 70s and he has been diagnosed with leukemia. Our family has a place on the Ogeechee River, and every time the weather is nice I think I should be out there fishing with him.

“And I’ve got a 9-year-old little girl, and I’ve been missing out a lot on her growing up,” Roundtree said. “I think of that song by Alabama ‘In Pictures’ and want to be able to watch her grow up.”

Roundtree was a defensive back and kicker in his high school days at Groves, but his best sport was baseball. As a pitcher, he earned a baseball scholarship to Savannah State, where he became the first Tiger to throw a no-hitter in school history.

Roundtree had stints coaching football at Bible Baptist and Groves before coming to Windsor Forest, where he was the defensive coordinator for two seasons before taking over as head coach in 2010.

The Knights reached the Class AAAAA playoffs the first two years under Roundtree, finishing with a 6-5 record in 2010 and a 6-4-1 mark in 2011. This year Windsor Forest finished 1-9.

“It’s hard to step away because I’ve had a great relationship with my players, coaching staff and the administration here at Windsor Forest,” Roundtree said. “I’ve been really blessed in this job. I’ve really enjoyed it. I told the kids I was stepping down last week.”

Roundtree said his defensive coordinator, Joel Lecoeuvre, will also step down as a football coach to concentrate on his job as the Knight basketball coach. Roundtree said he isn’t sure who will be hired to replace him and that the school is advertising for the opening.